Other Names

Disambiguation

Not to be confused with calabaza, nor the unrelated calabash tree. In eastern India it is referred to as 'kaddu', which ts translated generally to 'pumpkin' in northern India.

Description

A vegetable grown primarily for its fruit, either harvested young to be consumed as a vegetable, or harvested mature to be dried and used as a utensil or container. When it is fresh, the fruit has a light green smooth skin and white flesh. There are a number of varieties with fruit of different sizes and shapes. One of the oldest domesticated crops, bottle gourds have been grown in Asia, Europe, and the Americas for thousands of years. In Central America the seeds are toasted and ground with other ingredients to make a drink. In China the flesh is frequently used in southern Chinese cuisine in either stir-fry or soups. In Japan it is commonly available as dried, marinated strips (kanpyo) used in sushi. In Korea the flesh is eaten as a namul. Both fresh and dried flesh is used in Korean cuisine. In Burma the young leaves are boiled and eaten, or the flesh is used to make fritters. In the Philippines it is commonly cooked in soups and used as an ingredient in pancit. In Vietnam it is commonly cooked in soups, or stir-fried. The shoots, tendrils, and leaves are also eaten as greens. In India the skin is used to make a chutney. The flesh is used in various curries, grated or juiced in some drinks, as well as many other dishes. The flesh is also eaten in Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and southern Italy and Sicily.